Safety or restraining device.



No. 783,297. PATBNTED FEB. 21, 1905.

M. E. MOCALMNT.

SAFETY OR RESTRAINING DEVICE.

APPLIOATION FILED Dno.1z,19o4.

/NVENTR WIT/VESSES:

UiTn STATES Patented February 21, 1905.

PATENT rricn,

SAFiETY OR RESTRAINING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 783,297,

dated February 21, 1905.

Application filed December 12,1904. Serial No. 236,620.

To r/,ZZ whom, it may concern,.- l

Be it known that [,MABEL E. MoCALiv'1oNT,of lVarren, Pennsylvania, have invented a new, novel, and useful Improvement in Safety or Restraining Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in restraining devices, and is designed principally for the use of hospitals or asylums or by the general nursing and medical professions wherever delirious, semidelirious, insane, or unruly persons (including infants and children) have to be restrained or held in bed and is so constructed that it allows the free use of all parts of the body with liberal facilities for change of position from back to either side of subject at will without assistance from attendants, a superiority over any other known device, as it thus has not the irritating effect of a restraint, while just as inexorable and eiiicacious; and the invention consists in certain novel constructions and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of my invention as in use. Fig. Q is a bottom plan view of same. tail perspective view of the main strap and neck-strap. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the double loop, and Fig. 5 is a cross-section on about line 5 5 of Fig. l.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a device intended especially for use on invalids.

As shown, the appliance comprises the 'flexible strap A, which may preferably be widest at its middle and reduced in width toward its ends, and the loop B, secured at its ends at points spaced apart to the strap A and adapted to pass around the neck and be crossed at in front of the wearer. The strap A passes around the body ofthe wearer immediately below the arms and is crossed at the rear, and a double loop C, which may be stifl'ened by corset-steels or whalebones C2, is arranged at the back of the wearer at one side and has the upper and lower runs of the strap passed through its separated openings C3 and Cf, as shown. The strap A extends laterally from the body of the wearer under" tension, is wrapped at a around the side bars of the bed, and has its ends connected by a buckle a or Fig. 3 is a de-v -may be fastened out of patieuts reach.

other suitable fastening devices or may be tied together, if preferred.

The device is constructed of sufficiently strong material and consists in a principal band, strap, or bandage A, a minor loop or neck-strap B, and with or without a precautionary double safety-loop C, through which both ends of the principal strap A are passed at the back, going in opposite directions after making a round turn about the body of the subject, and thence out to the sides of bed or other support, where they may be fastened. Preferably each end of the strap A is passed one or more times around the side irons of the bed, under which they meet and are secured in an appropriate manner well out of patients reach, usually by means of a buckle a', thus allowing movement from back to either side of body, but preventing movement up or down or crosswise of the bed, as shall be further demonstrated in detail.

In Fig. 1, A represents the principal band or strap of suitable material and desirable length, breadth, and thickness, which may be made of softer material and applied in folds or cut, made, and worn as a jacket with the same method of application. This main strap or band passes about the body of subject with a round turn and passes thence out toward the sides of the bed or other support, where it lt is preferably passed one or more times around the side irons of the bed, drawn with considerable tension to allow for possible loosening, and secured underneath by means of a buckle a, snap-hook, or any other suitable and readily-adjusted fastening. B represents a neckstrap, made of similar material, padded and lined or not, which is the iirst part applied, slipping over the head and then crossing at 7; in front close under the chin, as shown, after which the main strap is applied as previously explained. This neck-strap B prevents the strap A from being worked down over the body, while the constant and even tension of the strap A prevents its being slipped over the head. The neck-strap B also makes it impossible for the subject to work his way within the main loop (or round turn) to sides of bed, and so fall out-in other words, holds the IOO middle portion of the strap A at a fixed spot on chest of patient-while the previously-mentioned twists of strap A around the side irons of the bed (see Fig. 5) prevents any possible working of the subject with the strap toward the sides of bed. The entire arrangement allows the patient just to turn comfortably on either side; but he cannot turn entirely over or more than once in same direction on account of tension of the strap A and the interference of the arms of the patient. For further security and to curtail what might be injudicious liberty for extreme cases a safety-loop C is employed. This loop is simply constructed of strong material and sewed or otherwise fastened at C in the middle, dividing it into two equal minor loops, through each one of which an end of main strap passes. This loop can readily be moved from side to side by the attendant. It is not essential in most cases and can be taken off entirely; but it will serve as a further security in that it will counteract any mischief the subject might effect by gradually loosening the tension by prolonged pulling and straining. It will be seen then that this loop partly hampers the patient, only allowing him to turn from back to one side unless the loop is adjusted to the other side by a second party.

Vith the entire device as above described the strongest and most violent maniac cannot get out of bed, though for such a severe case it would no doubt be advisable and necessary to further restrain the hands and feet by any suitable devices for such purpose, at the same.

time allowing a comfortable, safe, and humane allowance of movement. l

The advantages of the improved appliance are obvious, as is also its superiority over the ordinary strait jacket.` The consciousness of being tied down invariably infuriates and even maddens a subject, be he ill or well. The strait-jacket applied to a fever patient will show most disastrous results in temperature and otherwise very shortly after application. With the improved restraining device, which allows perfect freedom of limb, with the ability to turn at will,the patient is scarcely conscious of restraint and yet is as inexorably held in bed as though strapped hand and foot with the unnecessarily harsh appliance known as the strait jacket. In typhoid, for instance. where it is most essential to change the patients position often andkeep him off his back as much as possible when and where it has been necessary in large hospitals to restrain such patients in delirium, the straitjacket has been distinctly responsible for many dangerous and even fatal pneumonic complications, as well as for hideous bed-sores, large chafed areas, general uncleanliness, &c. The improved "device handicaps in no particular the perfect personal care of the patient. To

change the bed-sheets, nightgowns, &c., or otherwise minister to the patients needs, 1t is necessary to remove a strait-jacket partially or entirely-an impossible accomplishment for one attendant and dangerous for even two. As a result of such impracticability,bed-sores are contracted, and g'eneral uncleanliness prevails. With the safety device described, in conjunction with the said restraints for hands and feet, (or not, according to the violence of the case,) one person can easily change patients clothing and bed-linen, keep the body in a perfectly clean and healthy condition, and render all necessary services without removing the appliance-an enormous advantage readily appreciated by the medical and nursing professions who have had such evils to cope with. A patient thus restrained could be left by himself for any reasonable length of time and be fed and cared Vfor by one attendant alone.

This device is in no way a permanent part or attachment to the bedor supporting structure, but is detachable and can be adjusted to any bed, cot, couch, reclining-chair, surgical table, &c., or with suitable fastenings or methods of attachment could be used as any other safety strap or harness employed by painters, window-cleaners, zc. or for preventing children from falling out of bed, &c. It can be washed, sterilized, and laundered with ease. lts simplicity of construction, inexpensiveness, and lack of bulk recommend it to hospitals and asylums, always overcrowded with paraphernalia, and especially to the nursing profession, each member of which should or could own one most advantageously, with a consequent saving of care, worry, and consequent personal supervision in the nursing of patients.

It is not necessary to remove the appliance for any purpose, as it does not interfere in any way with the duties of the attendants or nurses and is in no particular injurious, harmful, irritating, or uncomfortable to the patient.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A' restraining device consisting of aiiexible strap adapted to be passed around the body under the arms, and a loop connected with said strap and adapted to pass around the neck of the patient, whereby to hold the strap from displacement, substantially as shown and described.

2. A restraining device consisting of a iieXible strap adapted to be looped around the body under the arms, and a suspender or crossed loop to pass around the neck, and attached to said strap, whereby said strap is held from displacement in use, substantially as shown and described.

3. A restraining devicev consisting of a flexible strap adapted to pass around the body, a crossed or suspender loop to pass around the neck for holding said strap from displacement on the body and a double loop to receive the different runs of the strap, whereby move- IOO IIO

ment of the body of the patient is regulated and limited substantially as shown and described.

4. A restraining device consisting of a flexible strap adapted to be looped around the body of a patient in combination with a bed or the like, around the sides of which the ends of the strap are passed, and means for securing the ends of the strap to prevent the strap from slipping from side to side oi' the bed or support, and means for holding the strap from movement longitudinally along the body ofthe patient substantially as shown and described.

5. A restraining device comprising a main strap, a neck-loop secured to the main strap at about the middle of the latter, and a double loop to retain the dii'erent runs of the main strap, substantially as described.

6. A restraining device comprising a main strap adapted to pass beneath the arms of a patient and a neck-strap having its ends secured to said main strap at points spaced apart, and made of sufficient length to pass around the neck of the patient and cross above the spacedapart connection of its ends with the main strap.

7. A restraining device comprising a strap adapted to pass around the body of a patient beneath the arms, and to cross, a double loop through the sections oi' which the two runs of the strap adjacent to the point of crossing'are passed, and means, connected with the main strap for preventing its displacement longitudinally along' the body of the patient.

, MABEL E. MCGALMONT.

Witnesses:

CLARA KEMoN, P. B. TURPIN. 

